Vitamin D Deficiency, the Volume of the Problem in the United Arab Emirates. A Cohort from the Middle East

Abdelgadir, Elamin Ie.; Rashid, Fouzia; Basheir, Alaaeldin M K; Alawadi, Fatheya; Suwidi, Hamad Al; Eltinay, Ahmed

doi:10.15226/2374-6890/3/2/00144

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Our study showed that the largest percentage of the VDD group had nearly no physical activity which agreed with many other studies. [33,34] This might be explained by the decreased exposure of skin to ultraviolet rays due to low outdoor physical activity and consequently decreased synthesis of VD. [35] On the other hand, VDD may be the cause of low physical activity due to associated decline in neuromuscular function including muscular strength, walking speed, balance, jumping and sprinting performance, and aerobic capacity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin D status and healthy Egyptian adolescents

et al. 2021

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Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide public health problem. Low vitamin D and its consequences among children and adolescents could be considered as one of the most important health-related problems. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy Egyptian adolescents and investigate factors associated with vitamin D status.A cross-sectional study was conducted on 572 school children (270 males and 302 females) aged 14 to 18 years, who were randomly selected from high schools in one governorate in Egypt. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Vitamin D level, serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphates were measured.Vitamin D deficiency was almost present in all the studied Egyptian healthy adolescents (99%), 94.8% had vitamin D deficiency and 4.2% had vitamin D insufficiency. Girls had a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than boys. There was a significant association between lack of physical activity, sun exposure, and vitamin D deficiency.Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent. In sunny countries, the special pattern of conservative clothing and the lack of outdoor physical activity might be the underlying factors for the high prevalence in females. Vitamin D supplementation seems to be mandatory to halt the problem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin D status and healthy Egyptian adolescents

et al. 2021

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“…Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, has remarkable health benefits confirmed from various studies 27,28 . Despite the fact that, UAE is a sunny, subtropical country and with a maximum span of summer in all seasons 24,25 the study confirmed a high prevalence of VDD. The current results revealed that 42.3% of the participants are diagnosed with VDD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…Vitamin D deficiency is known as pandemic global health problem [23][24][25] . Over recent years, evidence stated the positive impact of vitamin D on health 26 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results are similar to other studies conducted in Saudi Arabia which reported limited sun exposure due to excessive heat and cultural reasons 29,30 . Skin exposure to sunlight is of prime importance for the synthesis of vitamin D, as it activates the synthesis of vitamin D from the precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is naturally available in the skin 23,24 . In terms of public health, a smart sun campaign should be established urgently in UAE.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vitamin D Deficiency Practice Among Female Medical Students in Ajman, Uae

Bloukh¹,

Edis²,

Qassim³

et al. 2018

Int Res J Pharm

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Objectives: This study investigated the practice towards vitamin D deficiency among female pharmacy and dentistry students in Ajman, UAE. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was used in Ajman University with a total of 390 pharmacy and dentistry students surveyed from October 2015 to February 2016. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24. Correlation tests were used to determine the association between the socio-demographic data and the practice towards VDD. Results: The majority of the participating students (63.3%) were studying in their first year at Ajman University. Forty-two percent of the participants were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Sixty percent of the students feel often tired and 40.8% complain from having pain or weakness in muscles and bones. Although the majority of the participants (97.9%) were aware of the fact that sunlight is one of the main sources of vitamin D, 65.9% avoided sun exposure by covering themselves with cloths or sunscreen on daily basis. Only thirty-five percent of the participants exposed themselves more to the sun in summer and fall. Conclusions: Ajman University pharmacy and dental students have sufficient knowledge about vitamin D deficiency, but they lack the practice by exhibiting sun-avoidance behavior. Therefore, many are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or complain from related symptoms. Students need to be equipped with school and university level health education to promote safe sun exposure practice and sufficient intake of vitamin D from different sources.

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“…Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are public health issues globally. Vitamin D levels are especially low in Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), mostly due to sun avoidance, traditional sartorial style that covers most of the skin, and a lack of food fortified with vitamin D [1,2]. There is a plethora of benefits for adequate vitamin D levels, ranging from calcium metabolism to immune modulation and nervous system health [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between Dietary Intake of Vitamin D, Sun Exposure, and Generalized Anxiety among College Women

et al. 2022

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Vitamin D insufficiency impacts about half of the population worldwide. Almost one billion individuals across all ages and ethnicities suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Hypovitaminosis D is mainly related to lifestyle choices and habits, such as outdoor activities and food intake. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between vitamin D status and anxiety symptoms. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between anxiety and factors including age, vitamin D deficiency, citizens, dietary and supplementary vitamin D intake, along with sun exposure, among a sample of female college students in the United Arab Emirates. A descriptive questionnaire, including a short version of the generalized anxiety disorder scale, food frequency questionnaire, and sun avoidance inventory, was used to assess the relationship between the dietary intake of vitamin D-rich foods and supplements, along with sun avoidance/exposure and generalized anxiety, among a total of 386 female participants aged 18 and above. The findings showed clear evidence that sun avoidance behaviors are strongly associated with an elevated risk of generalized anxiety disorder among adult females in the United Arab Emirates.

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Vitamin D Deficiency, the Volume of the Problem in the United Arab Emirates. A Cohort from the Middle East

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Vitamin D status and healthy Egyptian adolescents

Vitamin D status and healthy Egyptian adolescents

Vitamin D Deficiency Practice Among Female Medical Students in Ajman, Uae

Associations between Dietary Intake of Vitamin D, Sun Exposure, and Generalized Anxiety among College Women

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